Dips and Glides into The Smithsonian Air and Space Museum – Virginia Museums

May 11, 2019

In Virginia, you’ll find the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, which is the partner facility of the
famous Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. You will find many artifacts
involving the history of space travel and aviation filling the hangars. The
entire center reeks of everything aeronautical and makes for a great place to
visit with families and children.

Purpose of The Center

The center was opened in 2000 and functions as the National Air and
Space Museum’s partner facility. Two of these facilities attract almost 9
million visits each year in total, which makes it the most famous museum in the United States. The trip to the center will be an exciting
one for anyone who has a love for all things related to the aviation. There are
two hangars inside this magnificent museum, one for aircraft and one for
spacecraft. There is a variety of spacecraft and aircraft housed in each of
these hangars, and it includes many important ones. There is also a recently
inaugurated hangar where they have people restoring their massive collection of
artifacts.

What to Do Here

There are many family-friendly, interactive activities and exhibits, a few thousand artifacts that you can view, and several
aircraft and spacecraft displayed above that you can admire. There is also an
IMAX cinema, which is a highlight at the center. The cinema shows films that
relate to space travel and aviation. You can check out the center’s flight and
ride simulators and experience what it would be like if you were to walk out in
space or pilot a fighter jet. If you want to indulge in an expansive view of
planes that travel using the nearby airport, you can head up to the museum’s
observation tower.

There are science demonstrations, discovery stations, and STEAM labs that offer those who visit, especially the kids that love aviation, an
opportunity to find out so much about space travel and aviation. Young
astronauts, along with their families, are encouraged to join Race to the Moon,
which is an interactive game revolving around the Space Race. Race to the Moon
occurs on specific Fridays and Saturdays. There are aviation and space travel
experts who conduct free tours every day at the center. The museum’s guides are former civilian and
military aviation specialists and pilots. Their knowledge of the aviation and
space travel industry is profound, and you are bound to learn a thing or two
about space by the time you leave the place.

How to Get There

You will find the center on the museum’s Parkway, which is a few minutes
from the nearest airport. You can get to the center by car if you travel on the
Dulles Toll Road or the I-66. There is a parking lot by the center that costs
$15. You can also get to the center using public transport. You have to reach
the Wiehle-Reston East metro station using the Silver Line, then get on the bus
to the museum. The bus will then stop right in front of the center.